Current J/111 World Champion Rob Ruhlman on Spaceman Spiff narrowly took victory at the J/111 Midwinter Championship, a part of J/Fest hosted by St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Florida. After eight races in three days, the Cleveland, OH-based Spaceman Spiff team, including Karl Felger, Doug Moose, Debbie Probst, Ryan Ruhlman, Abby Ruhlman, Jim Sminchak and Mark Wiss, tied on points with Ian Hill’s Sitella at 12. Both crews racked up the exact same scoreline, but Ruhlman placed one better than Hill in the last contest to claim the title. Conditions on Tampa Bay ranged from 6-8 knots on Friday and Sunday, with Saturday having the best breeze at 10-12 knots.

Final Results:

1. Spaceman Spiff, Rob Ruhlman 1 - [4] - 1 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 3 ; 12
2. Sitella, Ian Hill 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 1 - 1 - [4] ; 12
3. Bravo, Andrew Ward/Sedgwick Ward 3 - 2 - 3 - [5/DNF] - 1 - 3 - 4 - 1 ; 17
4. Wicked 2.0, Douglas Curtiss 4 - 3 - [5/DNF] - 5/DNS - 5/DNC - 5/DNC - 3 - 2 ; 27
   Photos are posted on the J/111 Class Facebook page, and complete results are available at https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=9649.

Thanks for this report from Matt Powell, owner of the J/111 PLAYLIST: While Australian brush fires were burning north to south, east to west, due to the obscenely hot temperatures inland and the very hot, dry airs whistling across the barren landscape, a number of Australian sailors made it out to sea to enjoy some clean fun on the azure waters of the Tasman Sea. On December 26 (Boxing day), Matt Powell's J/111 PLAYLIST entered the 34.0 nm "Cock of the Bay" race from Melbourne (St. Kilda) to Blairgowrie. This is a pre-curser and a solid "training run" for the Melbourne to Hobart race that started at the bottom of the bay on December 27. It was a good sailing day with a SSW breeze from 10-20 knots. The line was set with a definite port-end bias, and the PLAYLIST team worked this perfectly, crossing the line first and closest to the pin. For the first 30 minutes, they were leading boat-for-boat in the 72-boat fleet. Once they got settled, the race came down to consistent good boat speed and picking the shifts as they headed southwards down toward the Peninsula. Although they were racing their entire division, the J/111 PLAYLIST often found themselves competing with a Hick 40 and two First 40s. In the end, PLAYLIST finished 11th over the line, first on PHS handicap, second on AMS and third on IRC in Division 1. The race was basically a 34.0nm windward beat from start to finish, crossing the line in an elapsed time of 5 hours and 46 minutes. Commenting on their performance, Powell said, "All in all, we were very happy with how the J/111 performed against these bigger boats, and we felt if there had been more downwind breeze, we would have really tested our competition. Once we got closer to the Peninsula towards the end of the race, the sea state really flattened out, and in those conditions, the J/111 really holds its own against the bigger boats. Although the race was a beat the entire way, and therefore minimal work for the bow crew, they all agreed that the race was a lot of fun. I think it is always fun when you get good results!"